Monterey is a food and wine traveller’s dream stop

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When’s the last time you toured wineries by public bus — and the bus company actually helped you do it? When I heard that some of California’s finest vineyards in the Monterey-area’s Carmel Valley could be visited with a public bus as my designated driver, I knew I would like Monterey. And when I learned the bus company has even branded the route — The Grapevine Express — I figured this would be one cool destination.

I arrive in Monterey via an Amtrak shuttle van — taking advantage of the ability to stop between San Diego and Vancouver. Monterey’s nearest Amtrak station is Salinas, about 30 kilometres away.

The Amtrak shuttle driver is one of those rare people who’s perfect for her job. With only two passengers aboard, she practically customizes an itinerary for my two-night, three-day visit by the time we arrive in Monterey, and she points out many of the spots she thinks I should visit as we drive in to town. Not surprisingly, Cannery Row and the aquarium top her list, and she makes me promise to check out Monterey’s historic “adobe” buildings. She also points out places I’m already keen to see, like the stop for the Grapevine Express.

Since I’ve arrived late in the evening (the train was delayed by track construction), the wine bus will have to wait until tomorrow while I get some grub and a good night’s sleep at the Casa Munras, a historic adobe-esque property that’s recently been renovated and upgraded with style to spare. My “concierge king” room has loads of Mission character, the square-cut caramel-coloured woods immediately say “central-California.” My stomach says “food.”

Chris Cowdery, who manages the hotel’s (and Monterey’s it-spot) restaurant Esteban, seems to hear my stomach grumble despite my tardy check-in, and offers me dinner on the late side — along with my first tastes of the region’s excellent wines.

The food is uniformly sublime — a main course featuring a small sugar pumpkin stuffed with curried root vegetables dazzles my eyes, but my taste buds long for more of my starter — a lentil and eggplant stew that wows my tongue.

Chris stops by to make sure I’ve enjoyed the meal, and we end up in easy conversation despite the late hour. Chris’s friendly style is my second warm welcome to Monterey, and I gradually discover that folks here are laid-back. Despite seeing a zillion tourists each season they somehow treat each one like a new-found friend.

A fresh day means fresh taste buds. I wander Monterey’s touristy-yet-pleasant Fisherman’s Wharf where several hilarious hawkers promise their restaurant’s clam chowder is The Best and their neighbours are all wannabes. Since they each offer samples to prove it I don’t need lunch — just wine, so I go in search of the bus stop.

The Grapevine Express pulls up right on its hourly schedule (although it confusingly stops around the corner from its sign) at the downtown transit centre which doubles as a park. Just $4.50 gets me an all-day pass.

The bus is actually a shuttle van, and in addition to wine tourists like me, serves as transportation to/from the Carmel Valley for many locals.

The ride crosses through nearby hills and into the lush Carmel Valley where I can practically smell the grapes growing and the wine fermenting. Several wineries have tasting rooms in the Carmel Rancho shopping area, but I ride further to Carmel Valley Village, where the reds at Parsonage Village Vineyard’s tasting room quickly have me cursing Canada Customs’ limits on how much alcohol I can bring back. I wander the small village, only grabbing enough lunch to keep me mildly sober, tasting wines at several more rooms — including especially impressive chardonnay at Bernardus Winery.

Two hours pass in a flash, and I catch the hourly Grapevine Express back toward Monterey, asking the friendly driver to let me off at Chateau Julien — an exquisite French country-style chateau that serves as a magnificent tasting room for its rich reds, right in the heart of the valley.

I’ve sipped plenty — enough, actually — and decide to forgo additional wineries and make my final stop at Earthbound Farms: an organic farm whose produce Vancouverites should know well. Their fresh salad is sold at many local supermarkets, and has been on my dinner plate for years. In fact, the farm isn’t big enough to produce all the lettuce and other good stuff they sell, but it’s the core of their company, and the small farmstand showcases both their branded products and a wide variety of loose produce. Their herb garden and children’s garden are perfect spots to stroll and reconnect with Mother Nature.

The bounty of Carmel Valley — and the great foods I’ve tried — confirm that the area is a gastronomic treat, so I go to meet one of their foodie treasures: Pierre Bain, owner of Fandango’s Restaurant, tucked in an unassuming house in Monterey’s next-door community of Pacific Grove. Pierre’s passion for great food and hospitality is legendary — so much so that when I start asking too many questions he simply hands me a copy of his book, complete with recipes. He fills me full of amazing sea scallops, and insists that I at least taste the legendary Grand Marnier souffle. Somehow I manage to down the whole delectable thing.

Perhaps the most important part of Monterey’s food history, though, is famous Cannery Row — made legend by John Steinbeck. Today the seaside collection of warehouses and fish processing plants is filled with touristy shops, restaurants, and hotels. But in the middle of it all, a bust of Steinbeck and banners featuring quotes from his books are constant reminders that the area’s prosperity was once a bounty of sardines.

As I wander sleepy downtown Monterey — which reminds me of Halifax in its blend of old and new architecture in a seaside setting — I see the many “adobes” my shuttle driver encouraged me to explore. Like the flavours in a great Carmel Valley wine they, along with the many great foods I’ve eaten, friendly locals, the Steinbeck connections, and a public bus that promotes wine-tasting, add a layer of complexity and character to Monterey’s overall flavour.

When my Amtrak train pulls away from Salinas station and I settle into my sleeper-car “roomette” I realize I’ve got one-too-many bottles of wine for clearing customs. So I cork the Bernardus 2006 Monterey County Pinot Noir, and raise my glass to Monterey with a promise to return.

Monterey — one of those destinations you’ve sort of heard of, but can’t quite place. Is it in California? Mexico? Or is it just the name of a cheese?

The answer: It’s two of those three — yes, it’s the birthplace of Monterey Jack Cheese, and it’s a magical town on the central California coast near the dramatic coastline called Big Sur. Monterey, on its sweeping bay, makes me think of Vancouver before the developers showed up, and indeed, it shares another major attraction with our fair city: a world-class, must-see aquarium featuring mostly regional sealife and the best “should I order that seafood” display I’ve ever seen.